Spinning or twisting spindle



A ril 10, 1962 J. J. KEYSER I SPINNING OR TWISTING SPINDLE Filed June 26, 1961 HIM} 60 INVENTOR. JOHANN JACOB KEYSER sive.

3,028,721 SPINNING OR TWISTING SPINDLE Johann Jacob Keyser, Grabenallee 16, Aarau, Switzerland Filed June 26, 1961, Ser. No. 129,929 Clauns priority, application Germany Apr. 12, 1961 9 Claims. (Cl. 57-132) The present invention relates to a spinning or twisting spindle which comprises a spindle bearing housing with a vertical bearing and with a neck journal, and with a spindle upper portion provided with a whorl. The spinning or twisting spindle furthermore comprises retaining elements for preventing an undesired or accidental lifting off of the spindle upper portion. One of said retaining elements is rigid, whereas another one of said retaining elements is elastically deformable in such a way that the spindle upper portion may be secured exclusively by an axial movement and may also be released by an exclusively axial movement.

Locking mechanisms, known in connection with spinning and twisting spindles for securing the spindle upper portion against an undesired or accidental lifting off from the spindle bearing, consist either of the well-known spindle hook which on the outside of the wall ,extends over the latter, or of locking elements which are arranged above the housing flange of the spindle hearing within the range of the whorl bore.

This portion, however, is particularly well accessible for dust and lint so that felt-like deposits form on the locking elements which deposits after a short period of time prevent the spindle from moving properly. This defect in the movement of the spindle cannot easily be ascertained because such felting is hardly visible from the'ou-tside. In an effort to avoid a stopping of the machine in order to be able to clean the thus clogged up or impeded spindles, a locking mechanism for spinning or twisting spindles has been suggested which is arranged within the housing for the spindle bearing and is detachable by an alternating movement and simultaneous lifting off of the spindle upper portion. This wellknown locking arrangement within the housing of the spindle bearing insures that the unavoidable dust and lint will be kept away from the locking elements of the spindle so that a non-uniform running or a blocking of the spindle will not occur. This arrangement, however, has the drawback that the locking mechanism due to the specific shape of the retaining elements is rather expen- To this has to be added the drawback that the servicing of the said known locking mechanism is rather complicated when the spindle upper portion is to be removed from the bearing housing or is to be inserted thereinto.

It may also be mentioned that a safety device has been developed for preventing an undesired or accidental removal of the spindle shank on spinning and twisting machines, which safety device comprises a sleeve entirely or partially surrounding the spindle whorl, said safety device being connected to the housing for the spindle bearing. The lower portion of said sleeve forms a washer between the flange of the spindle bearing housing'and U1: spindle rail and surrounds the circumferential surface of the flange while the upper edge of said sleeve is equipped with a retaining element cooperating with a rigid retaining element on the spindle whorl.- In this way, the major portion of the sleeve is freely accessible and is subjectto outer harmful influences. The force occurring when relieving the spindle shank acts upon the entire sleeve from its lower outer circumference so that the deformation is effected within the upwardly extending portion of the sleeve with the result that a stretching as well as a tilting movement on various portions of the sleeve will occur in succession. If it is necessary to exchange the sleeve, such exchange is awkward and timenited States Patent 4; 2 consuming because the housing for the spindle bearing has to be detached from the spindle rail. Moreover, also I the manufacture of such sleeve is relatively expensive.

In view of these deficiencies, a safety device has been developed for spinning or twisting spindles in order to prevent an undesired li ting off of the spindle upper portion. This safety device is structurally simple and can easily be operated. The elastically deformable retaining element is designed as annular disc, and the rigid as well as the deformable retaining element are exclusively mounted in the interior of the spinning or twisting spindle composed of the spindle upper portion and the spindle bearing housing. Various possibilities exist for arranging the retaining element. Thus, the rigid retaining element may be mounted on the turnable spindle upper portion or on the stationary housing for the spindle bearing, and opposite thereto there may be provided one or a plurality of elastically deformable elements on the complementary spindle part. In this connection, also an embodiment is known according to which above the collar bearing of the spindle bearing there is provided an upper flanged edge of the housing for the spindle bearing which flanged edge forms the rigid retaining element. In this instance, an annular sleeve of elastic material inserted in an annular groove on the spindle shank serves as elastically deformable retaining element. The said annular sleeve is truncated cone-shaped so that the lower outer edge or marginal portion of the annular sleeve rests against the inner side of the flanged edge of the housing of the spindle bearing and forms the safety arrangement against undesired lifting off of the spindle upper portion. However, experience has shown that this design of the elastically deformable retaining element does not meet the requirements of the textile industry. On one hand, the resistance against undesired lifting off of the spindle upper portion is too low, and on the other hand the re-introduction of the elastic retaining element into the rigid retaining element requires a relatively cumbersome operation of the spindle upper portion which can easily cause damage thereto. When the annular sleeve is mounted on the spindle shank, the outer marginal portion thereof can only under great difficulties be introduced below the flanged marginal portion of the housing for the spindle bearing. In most instances it is even necessary to remove the annular sleeve mounted on the spindle shank from the latter, to clamp the annular sleeve alone below the flanged marginal portion of the housing for the spindle bearing, and thereupon to introduce the spindle shank through the bore of the annular sleeve until the inner marginal portion of the annular sleeve rests or snaps into the groove on the spindle shank. Such an operation is, however, far too complicated. Moreover, this elastically deformable annular sleeve is due to the high spindle speed worn out in a relatively short time in view of the unavoidable wear so that the effect of the safety arrangement will decrease continuously with an increasing danger that the worn-off material will enter into the collar bearing. For this reason, the heretofore known safety arrangements of the type involved against undesired lifting oil of the spindle upper portion, especially the last mentioned annular sleeve, cannot meet the requirements of the modern textile industry.

It is, therefore, an obiect of the present invention by means of a rigid and elastically deformable retaining e ement to provide a safety arrangement against undesired lifting oil" of the spindle upper portion, which will overing of lint and soil over heretofore known devices of the type involved.

. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in

which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a section through a portion of a spinning or twisting spindle with a safety mechanism for preventing accidental lifting off of the spindle upper portion.

FIG. 2 illustrates a section through a portion of a spinning or twisting spindle with a modified safety mechanism for preventing accidental lifting off of the spindle upper portion.

FIG. 3 is a section similar to that of FIG. 2 of a further modified safety mechanism according to the present invention.

General Arrangement The present invention is characterized primarily in that at the upper portion of the collar bearing there is prm vided a metallic closure lid having an axially upwardly directed bushing formed in one piece therewith. The said bushing has aradially outwardly extending upper closing collar. The said bushing has mounted thereon an elastically deformable retaining element which preferably consists of synthetic material such as cellular polyurethanes and which consists of one piece with a collar engaging the bushing and with an annular disc mounted at the upper end of said collar and extending radially outwardly. Furthermore, the rigid retaining element is formed by an annular member mounted near the upper end of the whorl bore and extending radially inwardly. The said annular member delimits at the upper end of the whorl bore a pocket-shaped chamber into which extends the annular disc marginal portion of the elastically deformable retaining element while extending over the inwardly protruding annular member. According to a preferred arrangement, the marginal portion of the annular disc of the elastically deformable retaining element has an inclined portion which extends at least over one portion of its thickness and also extends upwardly and inwardly. The said inclined portion continues on the closure edge of the bushing. The annular member forming the rigid retaining element is over a portion of its thickness provided with a downwardly and outwardly extending inclination.

Structural Arrangement Referring now to the drawing in detail showing the central portion only of a spinning or twisting spindle, the spindle comprises in a manner known per se a spindle shank 1 having connected thereto in any convenient manor the whorl 2 and the sleeve support 3 mounted thereon. These parts, which are firmly connected to each other, form the so-called spindle upper portion. This spindle upper portion is journalled in the spindle bearing housing 4 which latter extends through a bore 5a in the spindle rail 5. The housing 4 for the spindle bearing is provided with a flange 6 resting on the upper side of the spindle rail 5. The connection of the housing 4 for the spindle bearing to the spindle rail 5 is effected by a thread. To this end, the spindle bearing housing 4 has at least one portion of its length below flange 6 provided with a thread 6a having screwed thereon the clamping nut 7 and also having a washer 8 interposed between nut 7 and spindle rail 5. The thrust bearing for the lower end of the spindle shank 1 is not shown but is in a manner known per se, located below the illustrated part. Shank 1 is furthermore journalled in a collar bearing 9 which is located approximately at the level of the whorl 2, namely where the driving pull is exerted upon the spindle. As has been clearly shown in'the drawing, the collar hearing 9 has its lower end face in engagement with a shoulder 10 in the interior of the housing 4 for the spindle bearing. The upper end face of the collar bearing 9 is covered, and the said cover is retained by a flanged marginal portion 11 of the housing 4.

In conformity with the present invention, the cover for the collar bearing 9 preferably consists 'of a metallic closure lid 12 with an axially upwardly directed bushing 13 and a radially outwardly extending upper closure flange 14. The said bushing, upper closure flange 14 and lid 12 consist of one piece. In this way, an upper shoulder 16 and a lower shoulder 15 have been formed between which the elastically deformable retaining element 17 is provided and mounted on the bushing 13. The said retaining element 17 is preferably made of a synthetic material for instance on the basis of a cross-linked polyurethane. This retaining element 17 has a collar 17 engaging bushing 13, and furthermore has a radially outwardly protruding annular disc 17" provided at the upper end of said retaining element 17, said bushing with said portions 17 and 17" forming an integral piece. In this way, there is created an elastically deformable retaining element 17 which has an angular cross section and which is mounted on the stationary part of the spindle namely the housing 4 for the spindle hearing.

In contrast thereto, the rigid retaining element is .provided on the upper portion of the rotating spindle, namely in the neighborhood of the upper end of the whorl bore on which a radially inwardly prortuding annular flange 18 is formed. This annular flange 18 de-limits at the upper end of the whorl bore a pocket-shaped chamber 19 into which-extends the marginal portion of the annular disc 17" of the elastically deformable retaining element 17, said disc extending over the inwardly protruding annular flange 18 within said whorl bore.

According to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawing, the marginal portion of disc 17 of the elastically deformable retaining element 17 is at least over a portion of its thickness provided with an upwardly and inwardly extending incline 20 which continues to the closure marginal portion 14 of bushing 13. Also the annular flange 18 forming the rigid retaining element has an incline 21 extending at least over a portion of its thickness in downward and outward direction.

If, for instance, a completely wound up yarn body has to be removed from the spindle upper portion, it is not necessary to lift off the spindle upper portion. The axial pulling force for the withdrawal of the yarn body will, during the withdrawing operation, insure that the upper end face of the annular flange 18 will engage the lower surface of annular disc 17" of the elastically deformable retaining element 17 whereby the lifting off of the spindle upper portion will be prevented. In this way, a safety factor has been established against undesired lifting off of the spindle upper portion. The desired lifting off of the spindle upper portion, is however, possible without difficulties by an exclusively axial movement of the spindle upper portion. This will be evident inasmuch as the end face of the annular flange 18 Will first engage the bottom side of the annular disc 17" of the elastically deformable retaining element 17 and, when the pull becomes stronger, perhaps by use of a suitable tool, the said end face of the annular flange 18 will deform the elastically deformable retaining element 17 in axial direction. Due to the deformability of the elastic retaining element 17, the inner marginal portion of the annular flange 18 passes over the outer marginal portion of the annular disc 17 of the elastic retainin element 17 so that subsequently no further resistanc against the removal of the spindle upper portion from the spindle bearing housing 4 will be encountered.

Also the re-insertion of the spindle upper portion into the housing 1 of the spindle bearing is easily effected. To this end, with the arrangement shown in the drawing, the inclined portion 21 of flange 18 will first engage the inclination 20 of the annular disc 17" of the elastically deformable retaining element 17 and will, when further pressure is applied, deform the elastic retaining element 17 so that the inner marginal portion of the annular flange 18 slides over the outer marginal portion of the annular disc 17" of the elastic retaining element 17. As a result thereof, the spindle upper portion will take its proper position in housing 4 of the spindle bearmg, and the marginal portion of the annular disc 17" of the elastically deformable retaining element 17 will again extend above the inwardly protruding flange 18 within the whorl bore.

The inclined portions 20 and 21 bring about. an easier deformability of the elastic retaining element during the insertion of the spindle upper portion, whereas the more diflicult deformability of the elastic retaining element 17 during the lifting off operation depends primarily on the thickness of the annular disc 17 of the retaining element 17 and on the collar of the upper closure marginal portion 14 of bushing 13.

1 IDepending on the type and size of the spindle and the weight of the yarn body to be produced thereon, the individual parts may be adapted in an equivalent manner within the scope of the present invention.

As will be evident from the above, the safety arrange ment against undesired lifting otf of the spindle upper portion has considerable advantages over heretofore known safety arrangements of the type involved. In this connection, as advantages of the present invention, it is to be mentioned that the collar bearing is protected by a closure lid the bore of which with regard to the diameter of the spindle shank. has to have a relatively small play only. a

Furthermore, the arrangement of the closure lid with the upwardly directed bushing permits easy mounting for the elastically deformable retaining element whereby the retaining element is reliably held in its position without the necessary deformability when the spindle upper portion is to be withdrawn and subsequently to be reinstalled. The reliable holding of the elastic retaining element is obtained by the insertion of the latter between the closure lid and the upper marginal portion of the bushing which, so to speak, forms a support.

Also of importance is the arrangement of the safety device at the upper end of the whorl bore because in this way the drawing in and depositing of lint and soil can occur only to a considerably lesser extent than would be the case if the retaining elements were located near the lower edge portion of the whorl bore.

The arrangement of the radially inwardly protruding annular flange on the whorl bore creates a rejecting sur-- face which makes the advance of soil particles more dlflicult. If such particles should pass beyond said annular flange, they will hit against the bottom side of costs. This is all the more the case inasuch as the dimensions of these individual parts are neither dependent from the diametercf the housing of the spindle bearing nor from the diameter of the whorl as is the case with heretofore known arrangements of the type involved which are located near the lower portion of the whorl bore. Nevertheless, arrangement, according to the present invention and particularly of the elastic retaining element is assured because the angular cross section brings about a distribution of the deforming forces. Numerous tests have proved that a safety arrangement according to the invention against undesired lifting off of the spindle upper portion is considerably superior to all heretofore known safety arrangements comprising a rigid and an elastically deformable retaining element of the type involved.

Referring now to the modification illustrated in FIG. 2, the arrangement shown therein comprises substantially the same details as have been described in connection with FIG. 1. Merely the annular flanged portion 14 of the tubular bushing 13 has its outer marginal area not slanted as at 16 in FIG. 1 but squared off, and the elastically deformable retaining element 17 is, at its upper portion, adjacent said flanged portion 14 provided with a corresponding step 16' in such a way that the inclined portion 20' of the annular disc portion 17" will end at the upper outer edge of the flanged portion 14'.

With regard to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, also most of the parts of this embodiment correspond to those of FIG. 1. However, the arrangement of FIG. 3 differs from those of FIGS. 1 and 2 in that the marginal flanged portion 14" is not provided at the upper end of the bushing 13' but is slightly spaced from the upper end of bushing 13. The elastically deformable retaining element 17 isin this instance designed as annular disc 17". As will be seen from the drawing, disc 17" is provided with an inner annular groove 14" which is engaged by an annular flange 22 in such a way that the surface of the bore of disc 17" engages the cylindrical surface above and below said flange 22. Thus, also with this embodiment the annular disc 1 has an enlarged area tightly fitting on the bushing 13'.

The operation of the arrangements of FIGS. 2 and 3 substantially corresponds .to that of FIG. 1-so that a repetition appears to be superfluous.

With regard to FIG. 3, it may be added that the arrangement disclosed therein also permits the provision of the safety mechanism according to the invention evenin those cases in which relatively little space is left above the bearing 9. y

It is, of course, 'to'be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular construction shown in the drawing but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination in a textile spindle having a shank and a detachable upper spindle portion with a whorl and an axial whorl bore: a housing normally extending into said whorl bore and being open at its upper end, a collar bearing mounted in said housing and rotatably support-t ing said spindle shank, cover means closing said upper end of said housing thereby together with the latter covering up said collar bearing with regard to the outside, said cover means including an upwardly extending neck portion surrounding said shank and being provided at its upper portion with outwardly extending flange means, and an elastically deformable retaining member mounted on said neck portion and having radially outwardly directed extension means adjacent to and radially outwardly protruding beyond said flange means of said neck portion, said detachable upper spindle portion having a flange extending radially inwardly into said whorl bore within the range of and normally below said extension means of said elastically deformable retaining member so that by a strong manual upward movement of said detachable upper portion said inwardly extending flange of said detachable upper spindle portion will be able to bend said extension means of said deformable retaining member up wardly for selective withdrawal of said detachable upper spindle portion.

2. A textile spindle arrangement according to claim 1, in which said ,upwardly extending neck portion is integral with said cover means, and in which the outer diameter of the flange means of said neck portion is less than the inner diameter of the radially inwardly extending flange of said detachable upper spindle portion.

3. A textile spindle arrangement according to claim 1,

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detachable upper spindle portion 7 in which said inwardly extending flange of said detachable upper portion is rigid.

4. In combination in a textile spindle having a shank and a detchable upper spindle portion with a whorl and an axial whorl bore: a housing normally extending into said whorl bore and being open at its upper'end, a collar bearing mounted in said housing and rotatably supporting said spindle shank, cover means closing said upper end of said housing thereby together with the latter covering up said collar bearing with regard to the outside, said cover means including an upwardly extending neck portion surrounding said shank and being provided at its upper portion with radially outwardly extending flange means having its outer edge tapering upwardly toward the longitudinal axis of said spindle, and an elastically deformable retaining member mounted onsaid neck portion and having radially outwardly directed extension means adjacent to and radially outwardly protruding beyond said flange means of said neck portion, said flange means having an upwardly tapering surface tapering toward the longitudinal axis of said spindle and being in substantial alignment with the tapering surface of the radially outwardly directed extension means, said detchable upper spindle portion-having a flange extending radially inwardly into said whorl bore within the range of and normally below said extension means of said elase tically deformable retaining member so that by a strong manual upward movement of said detachable upper portion said inwardly extending flange will be able to bend said extension means of said deformable retaining member upwardly for selective withdrawal of said detchable upper spindle portion; I

5. A textile spindle arrangement according to claim 4,

in which the radially inwardly extending flange of the detachable upper spindle portion has'at least part of its inner edge portion tapering upwardly in the direction toward the longitudinal axis of said spindle.

6. A textile spindle arrangement according to claim 1, in which said radially inwardly extending flange of said sub-divides the whorl and in which said bore into a lower and upper chamber,

located radially outwardly directed extension means is in said upper chamber.

7. Atextile spindle arrangement according to claim 1, in which said radially outwardly directed flange means consists of one piece with said neck portion.

8. In combination in a textile spindle having a shank and a detachable upper spindle portion with a whorl and an axial whorl bore: a housing normally extending into said whorl bore and being open at its upper end, a collar bearing mounted in said housing and rotatably support-.

ing said spindle shank, cover means closing said upper end of said housing thereby together with the latter covering up said collar bearing with regard to the outside, said cover means including an outwardly extending neck portion surrounding said shank and being provided with radially outwardly extending flange means slightly spa'ced from the upper end face of said neck portion, and elastically deformable retaining ring meansrengaging said radially outwardly extending flange means and the adjacent peripheral portion of said neck portion, said detachable upper spindle portion having a flange extending radially inwardly into said whorl bore within the range of and normally below said ring means so that by a strong manual upward movement of said detachable upper portion said inwardly extending flange of said detachable upper spindle portion will be able to bend the peripheral portion of said ring means upwardly for selective withdrawal of said detachable upper spindle portion.

9. In combination in a textile spindle having a shank and a detchable upper spindle portion with a whorl and an axial whorl bore: a housing normally extending into said whorl bore and being open at its upper end, a collar bearing mounted in said housing and rotatably supporting said spindle shank, cover means closing said upper end of said housing thereby together with the latter covering up said collar bearing with regard to theoutside, said cover means including an upwardly extending neck portion surrounding said shank and being provided at its uppermost end with radially outwardly extending flange means, and an elastically deformable retaining member mounted on said neck portion and having radially outwardly directed extension means adjacent to and radially outwardly protruding beyond said flange means, the upper end of said elastically deformable retaining member being provided with a recess for receiving said flange means, said extension means having a taper tapering toward the axis of said shank and extending from the peripheral portion of said extension means toward said flange means, said detachable upper spindle portion having a flange extending radially inwardly into said whorl bore within the range of and normally below said extension means of said elastically deformable retaining member so that by a strong manual upward movement of said detachable upper portion said inwardly extending flange of said detachable upper spindle portion will be able to bend said extension means of said deformable retaining member upwardly for selective withdrawal of said detachable upper spindle portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS France May 4, 1959 

